THE ADVENTURES OF SAM SAMTHE ADVENTURES OF SAM SAM

I can remember the first moment I was asked to go to Ibiza like it was yesterday. “No chance, you couldn’t drag me there” was my surly response. My boyfriend who had been visiting and DJing on the island for the last 30 years tried his hardest to convince me that I’d love it, but no, Ibiza was not for me. An entire island dedicated to party- ing filled with foaming, drugged-up rave tourists copulat- ing and fist-fighting in the middle of the streets? No thank you. “I am sophisticated,” I stated. “Why would I fly from America to Europe to immerse with a species devoid of class.” I’ve got that here, I wanted to go somewhere chic, oh like say...Corsica!

How could I have been so wrong? Little did I know that by finally obliging to that first Ibiza trip it would be the beginning of a love affair that will last forever. And yes, it is an island whose major industry is partying - but that in no way defines Ibiza as it is only a small percentage of what goes on here. Then there is the people – ‘the savage drunks’ as I presumed. Well, that’s another rumour debunked as they are of a minute ratio and are quarantined off, remaining within their enclosures. No, the people I have encountered here in Ibiza are some of the most accepting, generous and beautiful people inside and out.

There is a magic on the island that brings out one’s childlike innocence, you are not defined by what you do for a living and it is a place where attitude and gratitude get you farther than money or fame. Lifetime friendships are forever forged without the exchange of an email or phone number. There is no code, standards, cliques or rules. Except maybe don’t be a twat. Now a semi Ibiza veteran I realize how easy it is. You can immerse yourself in the culture or history without even having to try. You don’t need to go to a museum or take a guided tour. See a Balearic sunset and cry because the serotonin depletion mixed with Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ as the sun sets behind the horizon is just too much beauty to handle. Walk around the ancient walls of Dalt Villa, go to Salinas and see Jon Sa Trinxa who has been DJing in that same spot for over 30 years, eat jamon and drink wine in Santa Gertrudis square while watch- ing the children run wild on a hot summer’s night. The history and culture reside everywhere, Ibiza is an island of tradition and acceptance, mixing the old with the new and ever changing. People say it’s not like it used to be, but nowhere is. That’s the theory behind evolution. I’m just glad I came here when I did. And who knows, maybe after my 40th summer on the island I’ll be telling younger versions of myself how great it was in 2018, be- fore an Amazon drone delivers new organs to your villa on Monday morning...